Top Ten Castles to see in Britain: Part 2

6. Caernarvon Castle is a huge castle in Wales. It was built in the 13th Century, and it was designed to make Welsh inhabitants fear the English crown. It was a symbol of power, as well as a functioning fortress. The Prince of Wales (currently Price Charles) is technically the Prince of Wales in Caernarvon, which shows the castle still has some modern relevance. Plus, it’s a great excuse to go on holiday to Wales, and have a look round Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. If you like mountains, forests and old castles, then Wales must be the perfect place for you!

7. Tower of London. This castle has so much to do, there’s an entirely separate article on that one. You can see the crown jewels, or have a look at the ravens which reside there. The guards – the beefeaters – are also famous in their own right. This place is probably the most easy to get to, out of this list – get the train into London, then get the tube to the stop Tower Hill, and the castle is right in front of you.

8. Windsor Castle. It’s huge, and it’s also one of the places the Queen officially resides. Here, you can see lots of paintings, stables, entertaining rooms and military equipment, as well as the lovely gardens. It also has a rather stunning chapel, and you can see an absolutely massive doll’s house there. There’s a bus that goes to Windsor from Central London, and of course Windsor has a railway station. The castle dominates the town, so it’s pretty easy to spot. You could also cross the Thames and pay a visit to Eton, if you are feeling in the mood to learn about the elite of British society.

9. Bodiam Castle. If you like moats, then this castle in East Sussex is the perfect place for you. Though it’s a bit small, the moat really is the main feature of the castle. Whereas many moats of castles these days have been drained, the one at Bodiam hasn’t, and it’s quite a cute little castle once you get there. Unlike many of the other castles on this list, it was designed to fend off an unruly peasantry, rather than great armies of invaders.

10. Hever Castle is an important part of Tudor history. It was the seat of the Boleyn family, but after Anne Boleyn was executed Henry the 8th gave it to Anne of Cleves, but she didn’t spend much time there. After this it passed between various people, until American millionaire William Waldorf Astor restored the castle and used it as a home. It’s still privately owned, but it’s open to the public, and it’s famous for the mazes that form a fun part of the garden. A really fun day out!

There are hundreds more castles around Britain, and each one is worth seeing, even if they’re famous for different reasons. If you can’t get to any of these, just do a quick internet search to find ones closest to you – they’re really fun to do if you’re bored this Summer!